Frontline Responders Get Free Coffee at Starbucks This Month

Masslive.com

During the first few months of the pandemic, companies were offering frontline workers deals and freebies. Now Starbucks is hoping to “reignite the movement of gratitude” as the COVID pandemic continues.

Starbucks told USA Today that “any customer who identifies as a front-line responder to the COVID-19 outbreak” will receive a free tall brewed hot or iced coffee during the entire month of December.

“Our hope with this is to reignite the movement of gratitude and to show those on the front line how much they are appreciated,” Virginia Tenpenny, Starbucks vice president of global social impact, told the newspaper. “For us, we believe that one way we can do this is by offering a free cup of coffee.”

This includes doctors, nurses, public health workers, pharmacists, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, dentists and dental hygienists, mental health workers, hospital staff such as janitors, housekeeping or security, and active-duty military, USA Today reported.

The company was one of the first to offer such a freebie at the start of the pandemic. From March to May, the company said it served more than 2 million free cups, the newspaper reported.

Other companies, such as Dunkin’, McDonalds and Wahlburgers also started offering free food and drinks during the first few months of the pandemic. Although, many of them stopped the promotions in the spring or summer.

Dunkin’ has continued some free promotions, including its previous promotion of free coffee every Wednesday in November.